Did cherries cause a Blondie concert to end in a riot?
The history of rock and roll is littered with seemingly innocuous items being used in ways they were never intended. TVs famously became bombs when thrown out of hotel windows by the likes of Keith Moon and Joe Walsh. In the making of their first EP, power drills were electrified and amplified by Sonic Youth. Even fishing lines (allegedly) led to some notorious shark-focused carnal escapades when Led Zeppelin visited the Edgewater Inn in Seattle.
But the biggest divide between harmless items and maximum destruction probably involves cherries, Australia, and legendary new wave pioneers Blondie. On December 8th, 1977, Blondie were scheduled to make their first appearance in Brisbane, where fans eagerly awaited the band. This was pre-Parallel Lines, but Blondie’s first two albums had sold remarkably well in the land down under. Scores of fans showed up at Her Majesty’s Theatre to see the group perform live, but the show would never materialise.
Drummer Clem Burke apologised to the crowd and explained that singer Debbie Harry was feeling unwell. The blame was quickly placed on Harry for ingesting too many cherries. The band’s road manager, Ray Maguire, even offered up an explanation in The Telegraph, stating: “In New York, we don’t see very much fruit, but out here, we’ve been going mad on it. I think that Deborah just had a few too many cherries over the last few days.”
To be fair, there are cases of cherries being considered dangerous. That’s because their pits contain amygdalin, a chemical that releases the toxic compound hydrogen cyanide. Is it possible to get cyanide poisoning from eating too many cherries? Theoretically, although it’s highly unlikely. In any case, the show’s cancellation didn’t sit well with the crowd who had waited over an hour to see that band.
“Some spectators hurled cans and bottles at stage equipment and others attempted to set fire to the speakers on the edge of the stage,” The Telegraph reported. “Five youths who attempted to climb onto the stage scuffled with road crew members at the backstage door.” Police were eventually dispatched to clear the spectators out, and at least one fan was arrested at the scene.
The show became notorious as the only show that Blondie ever cancelled in their five-decade-long career. It was eventually rescheduled for ten days later, but the original show still stands as perhaps the only gig where fruits eventually led to a small-scale riot.
